Valtteri Bottas to join Alfa Romeo in 2022

Mercedes driver set to replace Kimi Räikkönen at the Swiss team.

Swiss team Alfa Romeo have announced on Monday that their recently vacated seat of Kimi Räikkönen will be filled in by the Finn’s compatriot, Valtteri Bottas.

Bottas will join the team on a multi-year deal after completing five years with Mercedes at the end of the current season.

The move confirms Bottas’ inevitable departure from the Brackley-based team, with George Russell almost certain to take that second seat behind Lewis Hamilton.

Russell, who is a Mercedes Academy driver and managed by Mercedes’ boss Toto Wolff himself, has been outperforming his Williams car for quiet sometime now and also took a maiden shock podium finish at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.

Along with his remarkable performances, Russell also stood out when he filled in for Hamilton last year, when the latter had tested positive for COVID, in Bahrain. Russell almost scored his maiden victory that weekend, but a pit stop mix-up from his crew robbed him of the chance. Nevertheless, the young Brit outperformed Bottas throughout the weekend.

Bottas himself is still relatively young in the sport, having made his debut in the 2013 season with Williams. He joined Mercedes in 2017, replacing Nico Rosberg following his shock retirement announcement after winning the championship.

During his time with the Brackley team, Bottas has helped them win four Constructors’ titles, has himself won nine times and has been on the podium 53 times. He will hope that before he leaves Mercedes this season he can help the team secure another Constructors’ title.

Bottas will rejoin Fred Vasseur at Alfa Romeo, who is the team boss and has previously worked with the Finn in junior categories, when Bottas won the GP3 title with Vasseur’s ART Grand Prix team in 2011.

Speaking about the Finn’s arrival to the team next season, Vasseur spoke about the experience he will bring and also how Bottas can start fresh at Alfa Romeo:

“It is a pleasure to welcome Valtteri to the team and we are looking forward to our journey together. With him, we bring to Hinwil a strong team player with experience at the sharp end of the grid.

“Valtteri has been an integral part of a team that rewrote the history books and he has four Constructors’ world titles to his name: he is the right driver to help Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN make a step forward towards the front of the grid.

“Our relationship goes back a long way, to when we worked together in successful campaigns in F3 and GP3, and his talent and skills have been evident ever since, only growing with the time: I’m really looking forward to seeing him put his ability to work for the good of the team.

“The multi-year deal bringing him to us gives both Valtteri and the team the stability we need to build our project at a crucial time for Formula 1: we are excited for what the future holds in store. They won eight championships (four drivers for Hamilton and four constructors’) together. He was always known as Lewis’ teammate.

“The new chapter with us is that he has to become the leader. I don’t want to have a situation of number one and number two but at least he won’t be in the shadow of someone. He has to take the responsibility of the team on his shoulders. It could be a new chapter and I hope perhaps he will also benefit from this environment.

“I know the guy is dedicated; I know he is more than professional. The speed is there. If you compare with Lewis, he is the closest guy of Lewis. And Lewis is an absolute reference for me. Altogether, I think he is the perfect package for us.”

Bottas himself spoke about the new start waiting for him, stating:

“A new chapter in my racing career is opening: I’m excited to join Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN for 2022 and beyond for what is going to be a new challenge with an iconic manufacturer.

“Alfa Romeo is a brand that needs no introduction, they have written some great pages of Formula 1 history and it’s going to be an honour to represent this marquee. The potential of the setup in Hinwil is clear and I am relishing the opportunity to help lead the team forward up the grid, especially with the new regulations in 2022 giving the team a chance to make a leap in performance.

“I’m grateful for the trust the team has put in me and I cannot wait to repay their faith: I’m as hungry as ever to race for results and, when the time comes, for wins.

“I know Fred [Vasseur] well and I am looking forward to getting to know the rest of the team I am going to work with, building relationships as strong as the ones I have at Mercedes. I am proud of what I have achieved in Brackley and I am fully focused on finishing the job as we fight for another world championship, but I am also looking forward to the new challenges that await me next year.”

Bottas’ teammate at Alfa Romeo is yet to be announced; it remains to be seen whether Alfa Romeo stick with their current driver, Antonio Giovinazzi, or switch to someone else for the new regulations era.

With Bottas’ announcement out of the way, there are still a couple of seats up for grabs, especially that second seat at Mercedes which Bottas will vacate that the end of the season.

Aside from the Mercedes seat, the Williams seats are also a matter of discussion and so is the other seat at Alfa Romeo. With Russell the likely candidate to replace Bottas at Mercedes, Alexander Albon, Nyck de Vries, Nico Hülkenberg, Guyan Zhou and Nicholas Latifi are likely candidates for the three seats.